MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama will never wipe out its mosquito population — which might literally bite for some.
But the Montgomery Advertiser reports (http://on.mgmadv.com/1rwUtmy) that Alabama Department of Public Health officials believe they have a plan for residence to protect themselves from the Zika virus, which is becoming more prevalent in South and Central America along with some American territories including Puerto Rico. State officials are aggressively moving forward to educate the public if the virus makes its way to the Yellowhammer State.
Infection with the Zika virus causes only mild symptoms in the majority of the cases, but an apparent link to birth defects and other pregnancy-related poor outcomes has been associated with infection during pregnancy.
There have been 67 investigations and three confirmed cases this year of travel-related cases of the Zika virus in Alabamians.